Friday, September 29, 2017

The
U.S. hotel industry is set to reach another record for the collection of fees
and surcharges from guests during 2017. According to data forecast by the
Center for Hospitality and Tourism at the NYU School of Professional Studies,
the amount of $2.7 billion collected by U.S. hotels this year will break the
record $2.6 billion reached in 2016. The increase is a reflection of an
approximate rise of 2 percent in occupied hotel guest rooms over the previous
year and an increase in cancellation charges. The industry is in the midst of a
17-year surge in fees and surcharges charged by hotels. Full Story Here:

U.S. Domestic Travel and Road Trips On the Rise

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Global has published their 2017 Portrait of American Travelers, which is
indicating an increase in U.S. domestic travel. The report states 13.9 million
more vacations were taken domestically than internationally, in the last 12
months from 2016 to 2017. During the same time frame covered in the report,
road trip vacations increased from 22 percent to 39 percent. Spending on road
trip travel accounted for $113.7 billion in 2016, compared to the previous
year. The study defined “Roadtrippers” as making over $50,000 in annual income
and comprising 46 percent of U.S. travelers. Full Story Here:

Extended-stay demand outlook remains positive

Growth
in extended-stay occupancy and real revenue-per-available-room is expected to
remain at a high level, despite an increase in supply between mid-2016 and
mid-2017. According to figures published by The Highland Group, 30,000 new
extended-stay hotel rooms were added during that time frame. This represents a 9 percent
increase over 2010, which held the previous supply growth record for the
segment. The situation has resulted in developers being unable to keep up with
demand. Full Story Here:

All
three key performance metrics were down for the U.S. hotel industry during the
week of 17-23 September 2017. Compared to the same period last year, STR is
reporting industry-wide occupancy dipped -0.7 percent to 71.4 percent for the
week. Average daily rate was down by -1.9 percent to finish at $128.44 at the
end of the week. Revenue per available room fell by -2.5 percent to end the
week at $91.76. Full Story Here:

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Times and trends in travel are changing.
Travelers, in particular Millennials, are seeking new and unusual experiences
while traveling. They crave exciting and extraordinary travel destinations to
include hotels with a unique and memorable experience. Some hotels and resorts
are so unusual, that you have to see it to believe it! Many new hotels
are cropping up around the globe, with the experience in mind to appeal to the
Millennial market. Here is a list of several of the most unusual you can find.

1. Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, Saariselka,
Finland - Located in the far north of Finland, the Kakslauttanen Arctic
Resort consists of rows of small glass igloos as rooms from which guests can
view the northern lights and clear star filled skies. Open from the third week
of August through to the end of April, Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort is a
fantastic destination for all winter activities. http://www.kakslauttanen.fi/en/

2. Treehotel, Harads, Sweden - Consisting
of only seven “rooms” which are actually separate tree houses in a forest, the
Treehotel in Harads Sweden is truly unusual. Each tree house has a different
theme and shape. One is actually shaped like a UFO while another is a mirrored
cube. Each of the seven tree houses has an amazing view, and is set in a
peaceful and beautiful setting. http://treehotel.se/en/

3. The Dog Bark Park Inn, Cottonwood, Idaho,
USA - The Dog Bark Park Inn is a pet friendly, two bedroom, two floor, 30
foot high bed and breakfast shaped like a Beagle, and sleeps up to four guests.
Even the rooms are decorated with; you guessed it - dog decor. The one of a
kind shape makes this hotel a famous landmark along Highway 95 in Idaho. http://www.dogbarkpark.com

4. Kumbukriver Eco-Extraordinaire, Buttala,
Sri Lanka - An eco friendly lodge located on the Kumbuk river next to the
Yala National Park in Sri Lanka, the Kumbukriver Eco-Extraordinaire is famous for
its 40ft high Elephant shaped Elephant Villa, which is made entirely out of
twigs, wood and straw. Combine that with a kitchen that serves authentic Sri
Lankan dishes, and a whole host of guest activities from surfing to hiking to
river rafting, and you will be sure to have a fantastic and exciting stay. https://www.kumbukriver.com

5. Sun Cruise Resort and Yacht, Jeongdongjin,
South Korea - Perched atop a cliff overlooking the ocean along the east
coast of South Korea lies the Sun Cruise Resort and Yacht. A hotel resort that
literally was designed and made to look like a cruise ship. The resort is 541 ft.
long and 148 ft. high and has 211 rooms and 6 restaurants. The resort features
plenty of activities for guests including parasail, catamarans and jet skis.
All of the rooms either have expansive garden views or panoramic ocean views
depending on which side of the resort you reside. http://english.esuncruise.com/

6. Propeller Island City Lodge, Berlin,
Germany - Perhaps the most quirky and eclectic hotel on our list is the
Propeller Island City Lodge located in Berlin Germany. Opened in 1997 by artist
Lars Strorschen, the hotel consists of 30 different rooms each one with it’s
own unique theme. The themes range from an Upside Down room where all of the
furniture is fixed upside down on the ceiling to a Mirror room where the
ceiling and walls are completely covered in mirrors. http://www.propeller-island.de

If you are at all into the quirky, weird, and
eccentric or just looking for someplace a little bit outside of the box, we
encourage you to try out and stay at one these unusual hotels.

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

A
technology once largely embraced by gamers only, is now being adopted by
businesses in a variety of ways. The hotel industry is beginning to implement
VR (virtual reality) technology in a number of innovative ways, particularly
for marketing purposes. Being a visual experience, VR is a natural fit and
offers hotels as well as chains the opportunity to present their properties in
a new and exciting format.

Virtual
reality is a visual, interactive simulation which is three-dimensional and in
real-time. The technology utilizes various input devices to help create the
simulation including headsets, wands or game controllers. With these devices
motion is tracked and translated into the virtual actions within the created
setting. The result is an extremely immersive experience for the user, which
renders them a feeling of actually being in the virtual world.

Virtual Reality Hotel Marketing

Marketing
hotels through the use of virtual reality technology is the perfect stage, with
the right audience, from which hoteliers can showcase the richly luxurious
nature of their properties. Potential future guests can be completely immersed
in the experiences the hotel brand has to offer them, before they ever arrive.
The guest may take virtual tours of room accommodations and hotel amenities,
potentially driving revenue through not only bookings, but upgrades as well. In
keeping with the more personalized hotel experience being offered by hoteliers,
virtual reality is capable of giving users a true sense of having visited a
place they have never physically been.

Although
virtual reality is in its infancy, the future holds much promise for the
technology as it develops further. The advent of 360-degree videos on both
YouTube and Facebook are examples of the technology’s direction. Eventually,
virtual reality will be viewable via web browsers and mobile apps through the
WebVR standard which is to come in the very near future. The ability to
seamlessly connect mobile devices and desktop computers to this technology will
greatly expand its acceptance throughout society in time. Virtual reality will
then become as ubiquitous as a smartphone is currently. Forward-thinking
hoteliers are acknowledging this fact and are now beginning to adopt virtual
reality tech to remain ahead of the technology curve.

Virtual
reality provides a greatly enhanced means of visually communicating the brand
message of hotels to its potential guests. This highly engaging platform will
prove itself of great value to hotels that incorporate the technology into
their overall marketing strategy.

Friday, September 22, 2017

Hurricane Irma slammed the State of Florida over the weekend beginning September 9, ultimately causing billions of
dollars of damage across most of the peninsula. While the rebuilding is
ongoing, the hospitality industry is springing back to life and encouraging
tourists to come and enjoy all the Sunshine State has to offer.
Traditional tourism hotspots, such as Miami and Orlando, are very much open for
business. Harder hit areas like the Keys and Southwest Florida will take a bit
longer, but many hotels expect to welcome tourists soon. Full Story Here:

3 things to know about the
US leisure traveler

Research recently revealed by Phocuswright puts
together a picture of the average U.S. leisure traveler. During a webinar,
Phocuswright provided details of their research which indicates the
typical U.S. leisure traveler is young, affluent and a super-consumer. They are
on average aged 18 to 34, earn $75,000 a year and 84 percent of them own a smartphone.
The average U.S. leisure traveler is a super-consumer because they are not
averse to using their discretionary spending on hotels, fashion, accessories
and entertainment. Full Story Here:

New TravelClick Study And
Data Project 2017 As A Record Year For GDS Hotel Bookings

A study conducted by TravelClick and Phoenix
Marketing International is reporting that travel agents around the globe are
using Global Distribution Systems (GDS) at a record pace to make hotel
reservations. According to the 2017 Global Travel Agent GDS study 68 million
reservations will be made utilizing GDS, making 2017 a record year for GDS
bookings with an increase of over 2 million compared to 2016. The research also
indicates 50 percent of travel agents are using GDS more than a year ago. FullStory Here:

STR: U.S. hotel results for
week ending 16 September

Positive performance figures were posted by the
U.S. hotel industry for the week of 10-16 September 2017, according to STR.
When compared to the same week in 2016, industry-wide occupancy was up by +0.5
percent at 72.2 percent for the week. Average daily rate rose by 1.4 percent to
finish the week at $131.50. Revenue per available room was 1.8 percent higher,
ending the week at $94.97. Full Story Here: